Doris L. Spencer, 83

April 8, 2011

Doris L. Spencer, age 83 of Brewster, died March 27, 2011, at the Community Memorial Health Center in Burwell. Funeral services were Saturday April 2, at the Community Building in Brewster with the Rev. Alan Petersen officiating. Interment was in the Brewster Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Nebraska Hereford Youth Foundation or American Legion Post #323.
Doris Lee Wells Spencer was born at her Grandma and Grandpa Wells farm near Walworth in Custer County Aug 21, 1927. Doris grew up on a farm near Milburn, and attended Milburn School and graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1945.
She attended St Francis School of Nursing in Grand Island. She married Donald Clayton Spencer of Brewster May 18, 1947. Don and Doris had three sons; Dan, Mike and Dale Spencer.
When Don and Doris were married they started ranching with Don's parents, Roy and Elma Spencer, east of Brewster. Don and Doris enjoyed ranching and all aspects of rural Sandhills life.
In the mid 1950s they purchased a small ranch adjacent to the Spencer Ranch. The Spencer Ranch had been raising registerered Herefords before Doris married Don and this became the focus of their ranching operation and future years. They had their first production sale in 1959, and Spencer Herefords hosted their 51st Annual Sale in the fall of 2010.
Doris greatly enjoyed traveling with Don to various cattle events, meetings, and on bull deliveries through the years. They especially enjoyed cattle trips to Canada and Montana. Someone asked Doris if she disliked the cattle trips, her answer was "Oh no, if we didn't do that we wouldn't go anywhere".
Don and Doris took great pride in enjoying their 60th wedding anniversary in 2007. Don and Doris loved dancing, attending Nebraska Hereford meetings, as well as Stockgrower and Sandhills Cattle Association events. In their later years they especially enjoyed attending American Junior Hereford events with a group of friends known as the “super eight.”
Doris was an active member of Brewster United Church of Christ and the American Legion Auxiliary in Brewster.
Doris was predeceased by her parents; husband, Don; and son Dan (Sue).
She is survived by son, Mike (Donna) of Lincoln, his children Stacy Spencer of Phoenix Ariz., Brandin and Michaela Keith of Taylor and their children, Monica, Shelby, and Garrett, Brett and Johanna Spencer of Dunning and their daughter Lena, and Ashley Spencer of Broken Bow; son, Dale (Terrill) of Brewster, his children Trey, Mitch, and Jacy Spencer of Brewster, Tashina and James Golden of Kansas City and their children Alexi, Quinn, Beau, and Samantha, Nikkia Spencer of Lincoln and son Brecken; Dan's children, Brian and Kim Spencer of Champagne Ill., Jake and Andrea Ray and children Chance, Jacob, Brooke, Jase, and Jesse of Burleson, Texas, and Wesley and Bernadette Spencer and children Ty, Victoria, Bailey, Eli, and Danny of Beaumont, Texas.
Suggested memorials are Brewster American Legion and Nebraska Hereford Foundation.